Sculpture "Untitled (Cushion + Book) - Dark" (1969/2021), bronze

During a trip to Bhutan in 1968, Uecker came across the ritual of the monks there placing their prayer book under their heads instead of a pillow to sleep on.
A year later, this inspired him to create the work "Pillow Book", in which he used a large nail to nail a red pillow onto a book painted in red.

Based on this original, a bronze was created in 2021 in a small edition of 19 copies.

A quote from the artist shows the connection between the actions of the Tibetan monks and the artist's creation:
"To make visible the sequence of a movement, as a state of a vitality in which man participates in creative repetition, in monotony, is indeed an exciting action that can be experienced spiritually like a prayer."

Sculpture in bronze, 1969/2021. Edition: 19 copies numbered with Arabic numerals (offered here) + 6 copies numbered in Roman numerals, signed and dated by hand. Height: 48 cm. Width: 16.5 cm. Depth: 14.5 cm.

Producer: ARTES Kunsthandelsgesellschaft mbH, Bödekerstraße 13, 30161 Hannover, Deutschland E-Mail: info@kunsthaus-artes.de

About Günther Uecker

Günther Uecker, born in 1930 in Wendorf/Mecklenburg, is a German painter and object artist with an international reputation. He is best known for his relief-like nail paintings.

As early as 1957, Uecker created his nail pictures on a white background, which were to become characteristic of his art from then on. He arranged the nails in symmetrical formations on panels and boards. The nail reliefs achieve a dynamic effect through the directional arrangement of the nails and the interplay of light and shadow. The white background gives the nails a dematerializing effect.

From 1976 to 1995, Uecker taught as a professor at the Academy of Art in Düsseldorf. In 1999, he designed the prayer room in the new Reichstag building in Berlin. Significant awards and exhibitions in major museums and collections around the world, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, pay tribute to his work. In 2015, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen dedicated a major exhibition to the co-founder of the legendary ZERO group of artists, which drew attention to the various facets of his extensive oeuvre.

In addition to object art, his oeuvre includes paintings, installations, stage sets and films. Anyone who studies Günther Uecker's art will discover a fascinating combination of material, structure and light. The characteristic nail reliefs have an unmistakable aesthetic and radiate a special dynamism. Buying a Uecker painting means engaging with an art form that makes movement and space tangible in a unique way. His works show how the interplay of light and shadow constantly unfolds anew.

A work by Uecker stands for an intensive examination of form and surface. Anyone wishing to buy a Uecker painting is immersed in an artistic world characterized by tactile structures and visual complexity. His art is characterized by haptic quality and rhythmic order, which is impressively reflected in the nail reliefs.

Studying Uecker's works always opens up new perspectives. Anyone interested in his art will discover that it is more than just an aesthetic experience - buying a Uecker painting means discovering a unique artistic vision that reflects time and space in a special way.

Prizes and awards:

Among others, first prize at the 4th San Marino Biennale for ZERO and Gruppe N (1963), prize at the Young Biennale in Paris (1964), Förderpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (1964), Critics' Prize at the São Paulo Biennale (1971), Kaiserring der Stadt Goslar (1983), Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1985), member of the Order Pour le mérite (2000), NRW State Prize (2015).

Günther Uecker's works invite you to engage intensively with texture, light and movement. Anyone who wants to buy a Uecker painting appreciates not only the visual power of his art, but also the depth of his engagement with material and space.

Your benefits: Buy Günther Uecker at ARTES

In addition to the impressive selection of works by renowned artists such as Günter Uecker, ARTES offers a first-class service. Buyers enjoy a unique right of return - you can buy a Christoph Bouet work from us with complete peace of mind, the risk of misjudgment is entirely ours. The authenticity of all Uecker originals is guaranteed by certificates and secure shipping ensures that the artwork arrives well packaged and undamaged. We are also happy to come to your home or office by arrangement and bring one or more works to you for viewing.

With over 40 years of experience and a focus on maximum customer satisfaction, ARTES is the ideal partner. If you would like to find out more about the artworks, please contact us.

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An alloy of copper with other metals (especially with tin) used since ancient times. It is an ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings, capable of enduring for millennia.

When casting bronze, the artist usually applies the lost-wax technique which is dating back more than 5000 years. This is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures.

First, the artist forms a model of their work. This model is embedded in a liquid silicone rubber mass. Once the material has solidified, the model is cut out, leaving a negative mould. Liquid wax is then poured into the negative mould. After cooling down, the wax cast is removed from the mould, provided with sprues and dipped into ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in a kiln, where the wax melts away (lost mould).

Finally, the negative mould is ready, into which the 1400° C hot molten bronze is poured. After the bronze had cooled down, the ceramic shell is broken apart, reavoling the sculpture.

Next, the sprues are removed, the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist or by a specialist, following their instructions. Thus, each casting is an original work.

For lower-quality bronze castings, the sand casting method is often used, which, however, does not achieve the results of a more elaborate lost-wax technique in terms of surface characteristics and quality.

Contemporary art created from objects that are not normally considered materials from which art is made.

Object art was a means of expression of Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism, and over time, it has developed various representational techniques up to the present day.

A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.

While sculptures made of wood, ivory, or stone are carved directly from the material block, in bronze casting, a working model is prepared at first. Usually, it is made of clay or other easily mouldable materials.

The prime time of sculpture after the Greek and Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Contemporary artists such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz also enriched sculptures with outstanding works.